ADHD Australia resource helps educators recognise preschoolers who may need more support

Free guidance supports early childhood educators to observe behaviour patterns, respond in everyday practice and work with families.

Recognising when a preschool child needs additional support can be complex. Children develop at different rates, and an isolated difficult moment may reveal little about their broader needs or experiences.

A free resource from ADHD Australia aims to help early childhood educators navigate these decisions, with practical guidance on observing behaviour, supporting children’s development and discussing concerns with families.

Recognising Children Who May Need More Support focuses on understanding children’s support needs, with an emphasis on observing patterns over time.

ADHD Australia draws a distinction between recognising that a child may need help and attempting to identify ADHD.

The resource encourages educators to consider common behaviour patterns, understand when behaviours may fall outside the expected range for a child’s age and recognise when additional support may be appropriate.

This approach acknowledges both the value of early recognition and the risk of unnecessary labelling.

For educators, it places the focus on what they observe and how they can respond. Their contribution lies in understanding a child’s experiences within the learning environment, documenting relevant patterns and working with families to explore support needs.

The resource includes strategies designed for everyday preschool settings, helping educators connect their observations with practical responses.

For service teams, it offers a starting point for reflecting on how children experience play, routines, transitions and interactions throughout the day.

Specific observations can provide a useful foundation for these discussions. Recording what happened, the surrounding circumstances and how a child responded to support offers more detail than broad descriptions such as “challenging behaviour”.

Educational leaders could use the resource to guide questions such as:

• In which situations does the child appear to need more support?
• What helps the child engage and participate?
• What approaches have educators tried, and how did the child respond?
• What can the family share about the child’s strengths, interests and experiences?

These questions can help teams consider the relationship between a child’s needs and the support available within the environment.

Talking with families about observations is a key component of the resource.

Educators see children regularly in group settings and may notice patterns that families experience differently at home. Bringing these perspectives together can build a fuller understanding of the child.

Conversations can begin with specific examples, recognition of the child’s strengths and an invitation for families to share their views. This keeps the discussion grounded in the child’s experiences and creates space to explore possible support strategies together.

For service leaders, the resource also provides an opportunity to reflect on how educators prepare for these conversations and what assistance they may need to approach them with confidence and sensitivity.

ADHD Australia developed the resource in collaboration with the Uniting Preschool Field Officer Program. It was reviewed by developmental paediatrician Dr Alison (Sally) Poulton.

The collaboration brings practical early childhood experience together with clinically informed guidance tailored to preschool settings.

The resource is intended for educators, educational leaders and inclusion professionals, with information covering behaviour patterns, everyday strategies, additional support and communication with families.

ADHD Australia’s central message is that support can begin before diagnosis. The resource encourages educators to recognise when a child may need assistance and respond through informed observation, practical strategies and conversations with families.

For services, it can provide a useful focus for professional learning and team reflection on how individual children are supported to participate.

Recognising Children Who May Need More Support is available free from ADHD Australia, with no registration required.